Ades (Red Lentil Soup)

Ades soup is a classic Syrian dish. These red lentils turn yellow when boiled, which often confuses people who’ve never seen the soup before (“Wait, I thought you said RED lentil soup. This is yellow!”). It’s an easy and comforting dish you can make on a chilly winter evening and that you can enjoy for lunch the next day. The first time I made this dish was in college, and my roommates were not to keen on tasting it (I don’t know why!). Lucky me! I ate a lot of soup that week.

45minDuration

15minCook Time

30minPrep Time

4-6Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 red onion

4 cloves garlic

1 cup split red lentils, rinsed

6 cups water

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt, to taste

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil.

2. When oil is hot, add coriander and let cook for about one minute.

3. Add onions and garlic. Add some kosher salt. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes, until onions soften.

4. Add lentils to the pot. Mix and coat with oil.

5. Add 5 cups of water and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, mix flour with remaining cup of water to make a paste. Add to lentils.

7. Stir in lemon juice and some more salt. Continue stirring over high heat until mixture boils. Cover and cook another 15 minutes.

8. Add cumin and cayenne. Mix well. Taste for salt and add more if needed.

9. Add cilantro. Serve with some lemon wedges and more chopped cilantro on top, if desired.